Lionel Messi receives trophy from Italy\'s Fabio Cannavaro Barcelona and Argentina striker Lionel Messi won an unprecedented fourth Ballon d\'Or at a FIFA gala here on Monday. The 25-year-old, who scored an all-time record 91 goals last year, saw off Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona teammate Andres Iniesta as he captured the award for the fourth straight year.
Spain\'s Vicente del Bosque was named coach of the year for 2012, seeing off competition from Real Madrid\'s Jose Mourinho and former Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola.
Messi\'s record fourth consecutive Ballon d\'Or was as expected as it was justified after an incredible year saw him break German legend Gerd Mueller\'s 40-year-old record for the most goals in a calendar year.
And yet despite this latest accolade the 25-year-old from Rosario, who ended 2012 with an astonishing 91 goals in all competitions, indicated even before picking up the trophy that his own summary of the year was \'must do better\' after Barcelona allowed Real Madrid to win La Liga and also missed out in Europe.
\"I don\'t think it was my best year as I always say that titles you win with the team are more important,\" said Messi, noting Barca merely netted the Spanish Cup in 2012.
\"The Spanish league, Spanish Cup or Champions League is more important than any personal records,\" Messi also stressed and with Barca and himself setting their individual and collective sights stratospherically high - yet so often reaching their goals - last year was something of a disappointment.
Messi is aware that only his failure to date to lift top honours with Argentina stops the footballing fraternity acknowledging him as the greatest footballer ever - though a fifth individual accolade in 12 months time, which former Barca great Johan Cruyff sees as almost a formality, would surely vault him above even Pele.
Messi himself admits an outstanding ambition is World Cup glory - in Pele\'s homeland in 18 months time - but his form in an Argentina shirt has not always quite reached the effervescent heights he touches dressed in Barcelona\'s \'blaugrana.\'
\"I still have this dream and that is to be a world champion and lift the Copa America with the national side,\" said Messi recently.
\"And I know I\'ll do it, I\'m convinced I will.\"
Source: AFP